Genesis of Upper-Tropospheric Anticyclones over the Asian–Western Pacific Sector from Tropical–Extratropical Interaction Perspective

Abstract

Abstract Upper-tropospheric anticyclones (UTACs) emerge throughout the seasons with changing location and intensity. Here, the formation mechanisms of these UTACs, especially in the Asian–Australian–western Pacific sector, were investigated based on the diagnosis of the vorticity equation as well as the contribution of the planetary waves. During June–July–August (JJA), a vigorous UTAC corresponding to the South Asian high (SAH) forms over South Asia, to the south of the Tibetan Plateau, where intense heating associated with the Asian summer monsoon rainfall and the resultant baroclinic Rossby response are the important physical processes. Meanwhile, the produced anticyclonic vorticity is farther transported by the interhemispheric divergent wind toward the Southern Hemisphere (SH), creating the SH UTAC centered over the Maritime Continent. During December–January–February (DJF), two zonally elongated UTACs reside on each side of the equator (∼10° poleward), mainly over the Maritime Continent–western Pacific sector. Upon a closer look at the NH winter, we observed that the northern parts of UTAC cannot be explained by this vorticity balance alone. Diagnosis of the wave activity flux indicated that planetary waves emanating from the cold Eurasian continent converges around the northern parts of the UTAC with its peak in the NH winter, which weakens the subtropical jet, thus generating UTAC. Configuration of the SH summer (DJF) UTAC bears resemblance with that of SAH. These results suggest that the creation of anticyclonic vorticity and its interhemispheric transportation as well as the propagation of planetary wave are the selectively important agents for the genesis of seasonally varying UTACs. Significance Statement Recent studies have provided evidence that the South Asian high (formerly Tibetan high) is not a purely thermally driven system only maintained over the elevated Tibetan Plateau. This study aims to understand the physical processes responsible for the genesis of the upper-tropospheric anticyclone, especially in the Asian–Australian–western Pacific sector, throughout the season. During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, deep heating caused by South Asian monsoon rainfall plays a crucial role in the genesis of the South Asian high. The wintertime anticyclone emerging over the subtropical western North Pacific is caused via remote influences anchored with tropical convection and the cold Eurasian continent in which atmospheric teleconnections are important. These findings provide new avenues for research on tropical–extratropical interactions with respect to the formation and variability of important climate phenomena.